Men's Mental Health Promotion Symposium

Question: Why are men often over represented in different measures of poor mental health?

Stock Answer: Because men don't talk about their feelings and they don't ask for help.

This symposium is an opportunity for men to come together to discuss and critique both the question and the answer and to develop answers that can inform mental health promotion strategies aimed at men and future service planning especially in primary care settings.

The Challenge

Statistics tell us that New Zealand men are 3 times more likely to kill themselves than women across all ages and ethnicities. Men are also over-represented in other measures of poor mental health including violence (perpetrating & victim), drug and alcohol, mental illness especially depression, crime and anti-social behaviours. These are serious challenges not only for the men but for the whanau and communities they belong to.

Many male suicides are associated with relationship break ups, domestic disputes; financial difficulties; major life stressor such as redundancy or a significant loss; or some sort of event resulting in social stigma or shame (court appearances). Studies have identified that there are limited opportunities for intervention especially from primary care due to men being more reluctant to seek help or dismissing the seriousness of their problems.

Themes identified in studies on men and suicide and depression highlight:

• a high prevalence of masked depression, especially in young men
• the importance of a significant male in the lives of young men
• that "user friendly" services influence service utilization by men
• men experience high levels of social isolation in times of stress

We also know that:

• Men do discuss their feelings and concerns when provided with an appropriate forum or given permission
• Men prioritise and process emotional responses differently from women
• Men often perceive "not coping" as a sign of weakness or failure

We invite men to gather in Masterton to not only discuss the challenges but also to inform the solutions. While the reason for coming together is the challenge of the poor mental health statistics for men, the solutions need to be strengths-based, masculine affirming, culturally appropriate and help men connect with their important social roles such as partner, father, son, grandfather, uncle and mate.

Symposium Aims

This symposium aims to provide a forum for men to come together to collectively share their insights and strategies on how to:

• Promote positive messages about being a man and to encourage men to take responsibility for their own mental health and well-being
• Increase men's knowledge and understanding about mental health issues, especially depression
• Increase the leadership capacity among men to champion mental health well-being in men
• Promote the importance of the social roles of fatherhood and partner for men based on a key message that "mentally healthy" dads and partners contribute to the well-being of the whanau.
• Resource men to cope with significant life changes such as relationship breakups or redundancies.
• Enhance the capacity of primary and secondary mental health, counselling, support and social services to proactively respond to men, especially those in crisis
• Increase men's utilisation of natural social networks, primary and secondary mental health, counselling, support and social services prior to a crisis situation as well as in times of crisis and points of discussion to be processed in the small groups.

Symposium Format

Using an action learning model, the symposium will be a mixture of presentations and a facilitated series of conversations in small groups. With an emphasis on being solution focused the small group process aims to harness the collective wisdom of the whole group. The presenters will provide stimulus and points of discussion to be processed in the small groups.

Why a Men's Only Gathering

Consultation with men highlighted a need for men to come together in a men's only forum to candidly discuss the many challenges confronting men and their well-being and critically to identify possible solutions. Whilst acknowledging the significant contribution and leadership provided by women to the promotion of positive mental health and well-being in men, it is essential for men to take a more active role in owning and responding to their physical and emotional well-being.

Symposium Details

Date

Wednesday 17th & Thursday 18th March 2010

Times

Starts: Wednesday 9am (Assemble by 8.45 for powhiri)
Finishes: Thursday 3.00pm

Venue

Copthorne Hotel & Resort Solway Park
High Street
Masterton

Registration Fees (GST inclusive)

Symposium (2 days)	Wairarapa resident*	$115.00
Symposium (2 days)	Non-Wairarapa resident	$215.00

* Lives or works for agencies based in the Wairarapa district

Registration Fees includes conference materials, morning and afternoon teas, lunches and social event on Wednesday evening.

Post Symposium Workshop

Sad Blokes

$50.00

Social Event

Wednesday 17th 6:30 - 9:00pm

A BBQ and a chance to socialize with symposium participants at the Masterton Men's Shed. Situated in the peaceful environs of Henley Lake there will be some activities using the lake and park facilities for you to participate in.

Speakers Bios

Hon. Peter Dunne

Associate Minister of Health Hon Peter Dunne, has been Minister of Revenue and Associate Minister of Health since October 2005 and has been an MP since 1984, holding the north-west Wellington seats of Ohariu; Onslow; Ohariu-Belmont and Ohariu. He was a Labour MP from 1984 to 1994, resigning from the Labour Party in October 1994 to become a founding member of United New Zealand (now known as United Future) a few months later. He has been Party Leader since October 1996.

He has written two books: "Home is Where My Heart Is", published in 2002, and "In the Centre of Things", published in 2005.

He married Jennifer Mackrell in 1976 and they have two sons.

Dr Hone Kaa,

Ngati Porou/Ngati Kahungunu

Dr Hone Kaa is a Senior Anglican Minister, veteran activist and Chair of the Maori child advocacy organisation Te Kahui Mana Ririki. This organisation was established last year to implement the plan developed at Nga Mana Ririki, a Maori Child Abuse Summit, held in Auckland during November 2007. Dr Kaa is a seasoned media professional who has held posts as the Director of Radio Aotearoa, and producer/presenter for Television New Zealand. Dr Kaa is currently lecturing in pastoral theology at St John's Theological College in Auckland.

Professor John Macdonald,

Professor of Primary Health Care, University of Western Sydney

John is an internationally recognised specialist and advocate for men's health. He holds the Foundational Chair in Primary Health Care at the University of Western Sydney and is Director of the Men’s Health and Information Centre based at the University. He is President of the Australasian Men’s Health Forum and Patron of the Australian Men's Sheds Association. He is also a Men's Health Ambassador appointed by the Federal Government. He is also a Visiting Professor of Community and Public Health at Birzeit University, Palestine. He is an author many articles and two books on men's health, the social determinants of health and primary healthcare

His main areas of interest are:

• the development systems approaches in primary health care that focus on disadvantaged sectors of the population, incorporates community participation and works collaboratively with other sectors
• social determinants of health

Freerk Ykema,

Gadaku Institute, Netherlands

Freerk Ykema has been a physical education teacher, remedial teacher and counsellor for more than 25 years in primary and secondary education. He is the author and presenter of the international Rock and Water program and director of the international Gadaku Institute. He left teaching in 2002. Nowadays he delivers seminars worldwide.(Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany). Freerk is married and has three children. Gerle (25, pe teacher and psychologist), Arianne (pe teacher and teacher pedagogy), Jelline (psychologist). He lives in the country in The Netherlands

Dr Gareth Rouch

Presentation: Family life as a venue for kiwi male emotional development

Gareth worked as a secondary school teacher for a number of years as well as a Special Education Advisor. With a qualitative research background he has completed a PhD in Psychology from Massey University on fatherhood as a means of promoting emotional and social wellbeing for low-skilled/no skilled working class males Gareth is interested in social class and its bearing on male behaviour and development and has a research interest in consumerism and how it undermines individual and family wellbeing.

Rex McCann - Symposium Facilitator

Rex McCann is well known and widely respected for his work in the area of men’s awareness in New Zealand and Australia. He has had twenty years of active experience in men's groups and regularly attends men's conferences in the U.S. and Australia, connecting with broader international influences.

He is author of "Fatherless Sons - the stories of New Zealand men", which examines men's relationship with their fathers and the place of fathers in society. Rex is a self employed facilitator, researcher and author and has experienced many walks of life with men, including working with men in prisons for five years. He has a Masters degree in Social Ecology at UWS Hawkesbury (University of Western Sydney), and five years training in psychodrama.

Vic Tamati

Vic grew up in a violent household, got involved in street violence as a teenager and took the violence he had learned into his marriage. He became violence free in 1992 and now works as a Violence Free Champion for the It’s not OK Campaign travelling the country sharing his journey of becoming violence free. He is a charismatic speaker and speaks honestly and openly about the violence he did and how he and his family have broken the cycle of family violence over the last 17 years.

Vic's presentation is made possible by the It’s Not OK Family Violence Campaign.

Tairawhiti Men Against Violence

(TMAV)

TMAV is a group of guys who are committed to empowering themselves and other men to be great partners, parents, mates and members of the community. They describe themselves as people who care and want to do something to change the way things are. They meet monthly plan events and programmes to promote alternatives to violence done by local men and provide encouragement and ideas for guys to be positive parents and partners. TMAV is not the answer to violence in our community - but is one group of guys interested in doing something practical about the tragedy of male violence in our society.

Some of the activities and events we have been involved with to date include:

• Promoting alternatives to violence strategies at community events, Organising public meetings for men on the issue of violence.
• Promoting the issue in the media and liaising with other networks and individuals working on the issue of family violence.
• Produced a number or resources including the "Blokes Toolbox", an information pack for men with contact details for support services & , strategies for alternatives to physical and verbal violence; MATUA, a DVD promoting fathers who interact in positive ways with their children with ideas on weekly no/low cost activities that can be undertaken by fathers and their children in the Gisborne area; fridge magnets promoting positive messages for relationships

The group is currently working with Gisborne Women's Refuge and Family Works on a Men's Safe House and Men's Resource centre

Accommodation

There are a variety of accommodation options in Masterton. Listed below are some motels that are within walking distance of the symposium venue. Other options can be found on the Destination Wairarapa website (www.wairarapanz.com) Please contact your preferred accommodation directly to make a booking and quote the Men’s Mental Health Symposium to obtain the conference rate. Prices quoted are GST inclusive

Copthorne Hotel (Symposium Venue)

$140 - 220 per night Standard room, other options also available

Phone: 0800 765 929 Email: reservations@solway.co.nz

Website www.solway.co.nz

Masterton Motor Lodge

$105 - 125 per nightStudios and suites

Phone: 06 378 2585

Email: enquiries@masterton-motorlodge.co.nz

Website www.masterton-motorlodge.co.nz

BK's Chardonnay Motor Lodge

$100 - $160 per nightStudio, one & two bedroom units

Phone: 06 377 7485

Email: bookings@bkschardonnay.co.nz

Website www.bkschardonnay.co.nz

Acorn Estate Motel

$99 - $130 per nightStudio, one & two bedroom units

Phone: 06 377 0155

Email: enquiries@acornestate.co.nz

Website www.acornestate.co.nz

Getting to Masterton

Air:Air New Zealand has one direct flight a day from Auckland to Masterton arriving in the evening and a return flight to Auckland leaving in the morning. Palmerston North airport is 60 minutes drive from Masterton. Wellington airport is approx 90 minutes drive from Masterton

Conference Shuttle:

We have arranged a bus that will leave Wellington Airport at 6.30pm on Tuesday 16th and drop participants at their accommodation in Masterton. A return bus will leave the Copthorne Hotel on Thursday at 3.20pm for Wellington Airport arriving at approximately 5.15pm.

Cost $45 return (GST incl.)

Rail:

Commuter train from Wellington

Cost: $15 one way

Wellington to Solway

(Closest station to accommodation and symposium venue)

Tuesday 16th Dep: 4.33 pm Arr: 6.09 pm

Dep: 5.33 pm Arr: 7.09 pm

Dep: 6.18 pm Arr: 7.49 pm

Wednesday 17th Dep: 8.25 am Arr: 9.54 am

Solway to Wellington

Thursday 18th Dep: 3.46 pm Arr: 5.19 pm

Symposium Workshop

Friday 19th March

Sad Blokes - Depression, Men and Suicide

Presenter: Barry Taylor, Suicide Prevention Co-ordinator, Wairarapa DHB

Time: 9am - 3pm

Venue: Masterton Club

Chapel Street Masterton

Cost: $50 (GST incl.)

Men are more likely to die by suicide than women, are over represented in the suicide statistics and are more likely to have undiagnosed depression. rawing on sociological, psychological and gender analyses, the workshop will examine the reasons for why men are more vulnerable to suicide, the factors contributing to suicide risk and depression in men and what strategies can be implemented to promote positive mental well-being and prevent suicide.

Topics covered

• Men & Suicide - Why is it an issue?
• Sad men - Masked depression in males
• Risky business - Factors contributing to suicide risk in men
• What does it mean to be a man? Protective and risk factors of masculinityIdentity, Role, purpose & meaning
• Not talking doesn't mean denial - ways men process and express emotions
• Where men gather - settings for mental health promotion & suicide prevention

Presenter's Bio

Barry has worked in suicide prevention for 22 years at the local, national and international levels. Barry was a pioneer in youth suicide prevention in New Zealand leading the first national initiative on youth suicide prevention in 1988. He is known especially for his lecturing, conference presentations and training work in mental health promotion, suicide risk assessment and postvention, loss and grief, spirituality and well-being. He is a research fellow at the Social Psychiatry and Population Mental Health Research Unit, University of Otago Wellington. He was a Winston Churchill Fellow in 1990 and was a founding member of the New Zealand Association for Adolescent Health.